With Beverly Hills in rearview, where is Dan Lozano headed?

When news broke that Albert Pujols’ agent
had left baseball player rep shop Beverly Hills Sports Council, the
industry was abuzz with talk about where he might be going.

Sources say Dan Lozano left the agency, where he
worked for 22 years with partners Jeff Borris, Dan Horwits and Rick
Thurman, with a plan to start his own shop.

Lozano

In addition to three-time National League MVP Pujols, who
baseball sources say could command $30 million a year when he is a free agent
after next season, Lozano represents Jimmy Rollins, Michael Young, Joey Votto, Dallas Braden, J.C. Romero and Orlando Cabrera,
among others.

Before Lozano left, Beverly Hills had about 70 MLB players.
Among those represented by the other partners are Tim Lincecum, Dan
Uggla, Brian Wilson and Kurt Suzuki.

Several of Lozano’s current as well as former MLB clients
made public statements supportive of him in a press release he issued last
week. “I have the best agent in sports and a guy that I trust with my life …
What more can you ask for?” Pujols said in the statement.

Lozano said in the statement, “After 22 years at the Sports
Council I realized it was time for a change. With the talented core group we
have in place, I will continue to represent all of my clients within an agency
that reflects my vision and philosophy.”

What was not entirely clear: Within what agency? Numerous
industry sources said that Lozano — nicknamed Lozo in baseball circles — would
start his own shop, but at least one source said he has been fielding calls
from other big agencies since he left. Speculation has centered on CAA
Sports and Blue Entertainment Sports Television, which was recently
acquired by French conglomerate Lagardère, as potential landing places
for Lozano and his clients.

Lozano clients include Albert Pujols, whose next
deal should result in a huge contract.

But others question whether Lozano would want to work for a
mega-agency or whether he had the temperament to do so. “There is no ‘Lozo’ in
‘CAA,’” one baseball source joked.

Also, there is a question as to whether he would want to
split fees on Pujols’ next deal, which could be one of the biggest contracts
ever in sports.

Despite the statements from both sides, it is not clear
that the split will be worked out amicably. Unlike many agents who have left
agencies, Lozano was a 25 percent owner at Beverly Hills. In the past, the MLB
Players Association has become involved when agents leave an agency and take clients.
The MLBPA declined to comment for this story.

CAA FIRES AGENT
WHO LEFT IMG: CAA Sports has terminated coaches agent Matthew Baldwin,
who left IMG to work at CAA and is at the center of a legal battle being
fought in Los Angeles and Cleveland.

Baldwin filed suit in Los Angeles federal court asking that
the nonsolicitation clause in his IMG employment deal be declared invalid. IMG
is suing Baldwin in Cleveland, alleging breach of contract and misappropriation
of trade secrets, among other things. Although Baldwin is not a big-name agent,
the case is being watched closely in the industry because it could decide
whether agents can leave big firms and take clients.

Late last month, U.S. District Judge George Wu issued a temporary decision on IMG’s motion to dismiss the action in
California, where employment law favors Baldwin, saying he was “inclined to
deny” IMG’s motion to dismiss, but would entertain a motion to transfer the
case to Ohio. Wu, however, has scheduled further hearings in late June to hear
the issue, after IMG filed papers saying that Baldwin had been fired by CAA and
no longer had a job in California. “CAA made its own independent determination
to terminate Plaintiff due to his copying, and subsequent deletion, of IMG
files,” the declaration states.

Baldwin’s lawyer said in court that no trade secrets were
involved and that Baldwin was interviewing for jobs in California.

IMG SIGNS BUTLER COACH: IMG has signed Brad Stevens, coach of
surprise Final Four team Butler, for representation in all areas. A team led by Sandy Montag, managing director of clients, will represent him. IMG also
signed ESPN reporter Wendi Nix. Ben Stauber will lead her
representation.